Copending application of Frank DeBruyn and Lucretia Weed, Ser. No. 828,385 filed Feb. 11, 1986 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,884 is directed to a method of exposing a photosensitive element of the self-developing type comprising a photosensitive silver halide emulsion layer, processing the exposed element by the application of an aqueous alkaline photographic processing composition comprising a polymeric thickening agent, by superposing a scavenger-spreader element over the photosensitive element and in contact with the photographic processing composition. A silver halide developing agent and a silver halide solvent may be disposed in the processing composition or in the photosensitive element. The scavenger-spreader element comprises a support carrying a layer of a hydrophilic polymer, a cross-linking agent for the polymeric thickener, a barrier layer to control diffusion of the cross-linking agent and a layer adapted to possess substantial adhesion for cross-linked polymeric thickening agent. In a preferred embodiment, the scavenger-spreader element also includes silver precipitating nuclei. Subsequent to processing, unwanted by-products produced during the processing diffuse to the scavenger-spreader element and the cross-linking agent diffuses into the polymeric thickener. The polymeric thickener exhibits a greater adhesion for the scavenger-spreader element than for the photosensitive element and, upon separation of the scavenger-spreader element from the processed photosensitive element, the unwanted by-products and the excess processing composition would also be removed from the processed photosensitive element leaving the desired negative image.
One of the advantages obtained by the layer removal is a decrease in density in the D.sub.min area of the film as a result of the removal of unwanted by-products and residual processing composition. All unwanted materials are not totally removed, however, but the materials remaining are generally insufficient in quantity or in a form that their presence does not substantially effect image quality. High humidity testing of the finished image in the color embodiment, i.e., wherein a dye image is formed, shows an increase in the D.sub.min areas which is believed to be caused by the reaction of residual developer which oxidizes and reacts with residual dye coupler to form the dye under the high humidity conditions. The increase in the moisture content of the image element causes residual dye formers, such as coupler, to become mobile thus providing the unwanted color-forming reaction when the coupler contacts residual, relatively immobile developer.
A novel photographic processing composition has now been found for processing a photosensitive element which is not susceptable to the deficiencies of the prior art.